Cover your wounds

Other day, my 8-year-old son asked me for a bandage. When inquired him he said he has wounded his finger and needs a bandage. Upon a causal look, it was a mere scratch in his finger. I shrugged off saying you don't need a bandage for that and it will self-heal next day. He was adamant saying "I need to cover my wound so that it can heal".

Cover your wounds (issues/problems) and keep calm. Focus on getting it fixed (healed) instead of exposing it to others to see.

No. 1 test Nation

Below is an excerpt of my friend Azam Farooqi's (not related) thoughts about the recently concluded test series between Pakistan and England in England. It is a turning for Pakistan cricket as they have been declared No. 1 test team in world cricket ranking. Considering last time they played in England they were involved in a humiliating game-fixing scandal which was easily the lowest point in Pakistan cricket.
Below is the post:

I’ve always wanted to write; start a blog. Given that I consider myself a voracious reader with multiple interests, I always thought writing should come naturally to me. It did at one point, or maybe it didn't, I don’t remember, it’s been that long. All this time I found comfort in a plethora of excuses and rationales as to why I can’t write. Sometimes I was too busy, other times I was lazy, couldnt come with a topic I felt passionately about; or lately, it’s just been that I haven't written anything for so long that there was this hesitation that maybe I can’t write or if I start now, I wouldn't know where to begin.

All these thoughts and fears simply died down yesterday when it became official that Pakistan are the number 1 Test team in the world after the 4th test between India and West Indies got rained out (After All, how can a Pakistani success not involve rain, and Intikhab Alam). I just realized this I don’t need to wait for the right time to start writing, this has meant so much that I felt compelled to share my thoughts and joy with anyone willing to read this piece. Although a lot of great writers have already contributed a lot about a team that reached its lowest ebb during their last tour of England in 2010 and how most of these players having played in Pakistan for the entirety of their careers and how there are a lot of reasons why this team deserves to be number 1.

So why do I want to add my two cents? What is is that someone like myself, who hasn't written anything out of fear for a long period of time would offer that is new? Nothing, all I want to share here is what this means to me, and probably to a lot of hard core Pakistani Cricket fans who over the years.

The evolution of this team over the past six years, led by Misbah and Younis Khan hasn't been spectacular but steady; in fact it has been so steady and Misbah (read tuk tuk) like that it probably caught lot of people in Pakistan by surprise that this team had a chance to be number 1. Most of the casual fans associate their team’s success based on their limited overs performance, where Pakistan have been found wanting. This forced a narrative that this isn’t good enough or they can only win in UAE in helpful conditions. Not playing enough abroad makes it worse, but whenever his team had an opportunity, they stepped up, weather it was drawing a test series in South Africa, beating Australia at “home” or now drawing a series in England. For fans who have followed this team closely could clearly see a team growing and a middle order stabilizing. Misbah and Younis Khan have molded this team into their identities, unassuming, low key, patient and effective.

Which brings us to the recently concluded series. A lot of pundits including former cricketers were adamant that these batsmen would be found wanting in English conditions. All four middle order batsmen scored a hundred, Sami Aslam proved why he deserves an extended run at the top of the order, while Sarfraz made a few useful contributions. After a long time, even the tail seemed to have found some spine and the ability to provide adequate support.

It’s been some experience watching this team, watching Younis Khan grow into a giant of Pakistan cricket, Misbah becoming the most successful Pakistan captain of all time. A few years ago, watching this team struggle in shorter formats as well along with an increased interest in  other sports dwindled my interest in cricket. The only thing that kept me from totally shelving cricket altogether was the success of this team. The growth in players like Azhar Ali, Asad Shafig and Sarfraz has been a treat to watch.

The manner in which this team has grown over the past six years feel more like a long winded test match that slowly trickled its way to a conclusion in a manner that could only have been conceived by Misbah. They’ve played a  brand of cricket one usually does not associate with Pakistan cricket. One of the best things they did on the England tour was to not abandon their style of playing boring but disciplined cricket and forcing the opposition’s hand. They’ve been consistent with the system they’ve put in place and have found players who are willing to play within the system instead of individual brilliance.

This is not to say that this is a perfect team, or how this team compares to the Pakistani teams of yester years, they definitely aren't as talented as some of the teams in the past, although statistically they are more successful.

Of course there are issues with this team as well, a perpetual issue with our openers, Amir making a comeback and still getting used to playing the longer format, Yasir Shah and how he makes the adjustments when the rest of world gets a book on him. Sterner test awaits in Australia later in the year. But no matter what happens from now on, what people say about this team or how this unfolds, especially as Misbah and Younis step away from the game, we can look back to this this day and remember that Pakistan were the best team in the world.

Cottage and Reflections

Came back from a fun-filled cottage trip from Kinmount.
It was a meat-o-thon fest - Pepporini (halal) pizza, 10 oz NY Steaks, Ribs, Bacon (halal) , Beef patties, Sekh kabobs and Chicken tikkas. Ice-cream for desserts - Magnum, Kulfis (plain + mango) and Hagen Das almond chocolate bars. To top on that we had Dodh-patti chai twice a day.
From desi standard it was a 'hit' cottage trip as food is all we cared about lol. To be fair, we also had few activities - canoeing, hot water tub bath, play station, karaoke, Bingo (Saba won the game  organised by Javaria) ...well, that was it. Missed pool table a lot.
Canoeing in Lake Kawartha was the best part. I had developed a nag for rowing later. back stroke, font stroke. Embarrassingly enough, our boat was also capsized - luckily it was only me and Owais in the boat minus our kids.

 




On our 2nd day, we got to know about Muhammad Ali's death. He was suffering from Parkinson's disease for more than 30 years and had frequent ins/outs from the hospital for respiratory ailment.
The Legend who was famous what he did not only inside the ring but outside as well. He spoke with remarkable conscientiousness and truth. A trait that cost him his career and money but that didn't matter at the end. He was destined to receive all the love, fame and adulations from all over the world that the politicians were not able to suppress. He was a true global sports icon. His fame and legacy transcended through borders and future generations.
I did have once-in-a-life-time opportunity to meet with the Legend in Dubai. I was around 6 years old and little I knew who was this giant humble beast. All I recall that he came across as a passionate, caring, humble person - ironic for a World Heavyweight Champion ! May his soul rest in peace. May his legacy be alive in everyone's heart for what he stood for. May his sins be forgiven ! Ameen.

Muhammad Ali lifting me (R) and my twin brother

After we came back from cottage, we had to prepare for another milestone in Islamic calender: arrival of Ramadan.
The holiest month for 1.6 billion Muslims around the world. Ramadan where the gates of heaven are opened and the gates of hell are closed. Monday was the first fast and expectedly it was a challenge. Woke up at 3:45 AM for sahoor before waking up again for work. And our fast does not end until 9 PM - sunset time ! With all the non-stop eating at the cottage, Ramadan would be a welcoming detoxification of body (and soul).

Espana April 2016

It was my dream to visit Spain. Ever since I had watched Spain episode on Gulls-n-Guys show as a kid that I wanted to visit that country. (Gulls-n-Guys was a documentary cum travel guide reality show directed by Shoaib Mansoor. Each country was covered by a different celebrity)
Marvelling at Gaudi's architecture in Barcelona, being awestruck by Flamenco dance(r) in Seville, soaking into Moorish architecture in Granada - This is what Spain is about and much more !

We went with bunch of couple friends having same age-group kids like ours. The exciting part for me personally that I got to travel with the person who gave me inspiration to travel. His name is Owais whom I known him for more than a decade now. He is my Rick Steve minus the hairstyle lol. I look up to him in many ways especially dietary habits lol.
My other traveller buddy is Hisham. I have known him for little more than 4 years but it seems we have known each other for a long time now. He was my inspiration to pursue my Masters

It was a trip of a lifetime. A 10 day trip, visiting 5 cities with 6 adults and 6 kids. We checked out all the landmarks we wanted to visit. Kids had a great time having one another's company. At the end of our trip, Everyone was safe and hearty and best of all we are still talking to one another and taking group selfless :)

I will try to summarize the trip with some key highlights:


Toronto - Barcelona:
- Evening flight that meant kids will sleep in and spare us for some sleep as well. Wishful thinking I tell you. After we landed, we took a bus to our hotel 'La Meridan'. Amazing hotel and breakfast !

- La Ramblas was buzzing with tourists. Metro station was very close-by

- La Boquera Food Market. The famous saying here goes "if you can't find it here, it is not worth eating'.  We had a group "LA BOUKAIRAA" selfie pic here.

- Columbus Statue:
At the end of the La Ramblas street there is a status of Christopher Columbus.

- Port Vell Marina - beautiful waterfront harbour with cable car , beach and Frank Gehry's Golden Fish Sculpture. (Shayaan became raucous as we failed to dissuade him not wanting to wait in the line for the cable car. In the end it was a worthwhile 65 min wait lol)

- Park Quell  - famous work by Gaudi. Its purpose was a residential community for the elites. It was failed project. It is now converted into a park and now is it is the most visited tourist attractions.
We took the bus to get here. The bus was crowded and travelling with strollers and kids was interesting lol. It was over here I had lost Sheza's comfort blanket.

- Sagrada Familia  - still under construction Church is an iconic landmark of Barcelona. Breathtaking architecture taking inspiration from nature. (leaf plane, beetle doom, plant stalk etc). 
We had a group "SAGRADA FAMEELIAAA" selfie pic here.

- Casa Batlló - Another Gaudi's modern mystique masterpiece. It literally means 'House of Bones' because of its organic architecture.

- Magic Fountain - Busy touristy area. 'Bumped' into my friend's brother here. He was also visiting Barcelona with his family. What was the likelihood of meeting him in that part of the world !

- Barcelona vs Valencia game. This was the biggest highlight. Watch Neymar, Messi and Suarez play for one team was a dream come true. Although Barcelona lost but Messi scored his 500th goal. I and Shayaan had bought the Messi jersey. The crowd energy, enthusiasm and the atmosphere was simply terrific. Something that I will always cherish. Thanks to Hisham for the soccer game idea and pushing me to watch it with them !

Barcelona to Granada:
- Took flight to Granada in wee hours of the morning. It was couple of hours flight. We had an apartment there.

- Mirador de San Nicolas was a beautiful view of Alhambra. Cobbled streets, very old buildings, untainted suburban landscape made Granada very interesting.

- We had a fancy dinner here overseeing Alhambra. The tranquillity was soon turned chaotic thanks to Sheza's tantrums lol

- Alhambra Fort was the highlight! We were lucky we had bought the tickets in advance as the line up for tickets was huge. The only bad part was that it was raining. I had not packed any jacket/sweater and Owais had to lend his wind-breaker jacket that I was wearing throughout our trip lol.

- Saba met her middle school from India after 16 years. Her friend was backpacking Spain and thanks to Facebook check-ins got to know their whereabouts. Now what are the odds of that??

- Midnight and it was Saba's 30th birthday again. Aisha and Javairia had arranged birthday icecream cake and showered her with gifts. Saba celebrating her birthday in Spain with friends - #wahwah

Granada to Seville:
- It was a fun bus ride from the station to Seville. We played 'solve the mystery' game in the bus.
- We had an apartment house for our stay. All the people stayed in one place under the same roof. Luckily, we were here only for one night lol
- Seville Catherderal - largest Gothic Church and recognised as UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is built on Almohad mosque. It was towering the whole block. 
Spain has 'Siesta' time where everything gets shut down in the afternoon for couple of hours. Churches have siesta too ! (god needs a nap time too)

- Alcazar Palace - another breathtaking Moorish architecture. One can spend all day marvelling at the calligraphy, well trimmed gardens and the Palace itself. This is another UNESCO World Heritage Site.

- Plaza de Espana - magnificent area with towers and building built in Renaissance and neo-Moorish style. We had our group 'PLAZA DE ESPANYA' selfie moment here. 

- Saba's birthday dinner was followed next. I had to as I was reminded (read coerced ) 300 times by everyone right after we booked our air tickets in Toronto lol. It was one of the best Mexican food I ever had.

Seville to Cordoba:
- Stopped at Cordoba to visit the eponymous once-a-Mosque-now-Cathedral there. The iconic red and white stripes along the arches are spread all over. Sadly, many chapels have been built inside the mosque destroying the original architecture.
- We had our luggage placed in the locker room before we went to see the mosque. 
- It was Friday and sadly we can't pray over there.
- Allama Iqbal had recited azan here on the permission from the city. 

Cordoba to Madrid:
- Final stop and our hotel name was 'Westin Palace'. One of the beautiful hotels we have stayed.
- Madrid is famous for its gastronomy. The restaurant scene is very alive !

- Took a picture with 'bear and Strawberry Tree' statue (El Oso y el Madroño)

- Strolled Plaza Mayor and El Retiro.

- Mercado de San Miguel  - The historic wrought-iron-and-glass food market building. It is one of the liveliest culinary spots. They have stalls selling fresh produce in tapas bars offering a wide variety of treats such as garlic prawns, small skewers of olives, cucumbers, peppers and pickled onions.

- Sofia aka Choupa (Hisham's daughter) - got fever here. Poor kid was still smiling MA !
- Prado Museum. Only guys went as ladies were not interested. It was a yawn-a-fest ! lol
 - The breakfast place in the hotel was astounding. The décor as well as the breakfast selection. We recorded Sofia's Ameen video message here with the family. It was on same day as the day we were flying out.
Toronto:
The memories created are priceless. Our trip was successful because of the company of our great friends. 
Our good old friend from Ryerson - Rajaram graciously agreed to pick us gleefully.

Food:
Paella being the famous dish. We enjoyed the seafood paella. We had mostly Turkish and Mexican food.

Seafood Paella by the Marina

Amorino Gelato Icecream - we had this in all the cities.

Turkish Lamb Chops

Mexican Food

My [could had been] Speech for the Groom...

This was my speech that I wanted to say at my brother's Reception ceremony that I made a mess of it. I had not written down my speech which is why I was not able to gather my thoughts coherently.
I blame my daughter squarely for that lol. (Poor her). Excuses aside, there were lot of lessons learnt. As they say, you learn more from your mistakes than successes. 


" I will keep it very short as I have to run to the washroom *giggle*

AoA Everyone, on behalf of the Farooqi family. Welcome everybody!

For those who don't know me, My name is Salman Farooqi and I am Rehan's best eldest brother *smile*

*Looks at the couple * You guys are looking fab Mashallah! Welcome to the family Mehak!

I am remembering my wedding day which was not tooo long ago..only 9 years  back *giggle*
I was the first one to get married in my circle of friends. So after I got married, I used to meet with my friends with less frequency. Whenever I used to meet them, I was asked this cliche question - "Hows it going bro, hows the married life?" and my answer was only one word "goood".
On one occasion, I met my another friend after a hiatus and he in the similar tone like the above question: "Hows it going bro, how was the first fight?" and I said "good" in same vein without thinking. I retraced my word "whaaa...fight? no ..no". I was trying to chew my words back but the cat was out of the bag at that point.
The point being is that when you have 2 individuals living together you are bound to lock horns once in a while. But at the end of the day the deep love, trust, respect, care and compassion triumphs all other barriers.
I have read and heard that in Islam, couples are like 'Libaas' or 'wardrobe' of one another.
It has a very deep meaning. It means we are like shield to one another, protecting each other's faults, honor and at the same time caring for each other's well-being, needs and desires.
*Looks at the couple* I hope these feelings keep blossoming between you guys.

Since it is your day *looks at Rehan*, I will say only good things about you *smiles*
He is the best brother I could had asked for. There is nothing new to tell about him that you *looks at Mehak* don't know. What I admire about Rehan is his sportsmanship spirit. Rehan being an athlete , he imbibes virtues like leadership, motivation, patience and hard-work. Welcome to the married club Dr. Rehan ! *smiles*

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all my family and extended family who have made it to Rehan-Mehak's Wedding. Special shout out to Dr. Ali Farooqi and Hashim Siddiqi - my 2 cousins who couldn't make it to the event. Your absence is surely felt :)

Thank you everyone. Enjoy rest of your evening.
Now I will go to the washroom *smiles*
"

Story telling...

A lot has been written and preached about the art of story telling. A simple reason why it is important: Humans get fascinated by stories. It is part of Homo Sapiens nomenclature. It intrigues us, captures our attention and registers a strong impact in our Gray matter.

With Analytics; 'Story telling' is being thrust into the foreground in the decision making process. It brings a 'human touch' in to the world of Big Data and Analytics where 'models' and 'stats' form the bulk of Machine Learning paradigm. 

Yes, you acquire data faster than ever before (Velocity). Yes, you store data than ever before (Volume). Yes, you get data from different channels in different timings (Variety). 

Story telling becomes a need rather than a wish. It serves not only to entertain but to elucidate.

But the main ingredient that will make people trust and appreciate your story is the consistency.

I had my hot water tank break down Monday morning while getting ready to work (I know eh!). A technician came in the morning only to conclude that he has to order some parts and only then can it be fixed.

From the next moment, it was just a waiting game. I was calling them intermittently to check on the status. Amusingly and frustratingly, I was getting different versions of the story every time I called (even if I called again after hanging up). 

"The parts will be couriered to your place" said Caller 1. "The parts will be delivered to the Technician" confirmed Caller 2. "The parts will be mailed to the Material Department and then they will call the Technician" refuted Caller 3.

On the screens, they all see my call history and the notes by the technicians. 

Every caller was quiet confident and made me assured their version of the story is correct. A coherency in the process workflow aka story was clearly lacking.The same data should provide the same story. Always.

At this moment, I am waiting for a technician to come Tuesday morning to rescue me from my misery. 

Never take No for an anwer

I have trouble adjusting to this attitude. I often succumb to the fate and say "it is what it is" to find a shred of optimism when the doors are shut.
It all depends on what you are trying to get. If something that is of high intrinsic value you go out of the way to get it no matter how many obstacles you come across.
This is a test to 'test' our resoluteness. An illusion of a brick wall standing in front of us, testing how hard can we can knock it off in order to get something behind the wall.
One case that has a huge impact in me is that of my cousin who a mildly mannered person  refused to be a cog in a wheel of a slow grinding bureaucratic process and pushed the envelope to get what was the token to travel to visit his ailing father.

The day he received his Canadian citizenship that same night he received a call from his brother from Madison,WI; breaking the news that their father has passed away. Thier Dad had succumbed to stomach cancer that he was battling for past few months. At that moment, my cousin had decided that has to fly to his parents place to attend his father's funeral. He knows he has just applied for a passport that takes 2-3 weeks to get it. He also knows that in Islamic tradition, the burial procedure is not recommended to delay for a day or two.
Next morning, he got to the passport office before its opening hours and waited to be opened. When the office opened, he requested and pleaded to expedite his passport application so that he can travel to his father's funeral today. They told him that it is highly unlikely and upon further insistence they directed him to the main passport office for such special requests. He called his friend who was also his reference in his passport application and drove to the main passport office. His turn came at 11:30 AM, upon hearing his side of the story; clerk asked him that he needs to provide two references, letter from the hospital where his Dad's body is and finally his air ticket receipt to validate that he is committed to fly today.

As one of the reference was already present with him. They just had to call the other reference and confirm the applicant's details.  He called his brother who in his grief state was able to get the letter from the hospital and emailed it to him. In the meantime, he called his travel agent and booked the next available flight.

He fulfilled the above requirements to the best of his ability and it was up to the Passport Office to process and deliver his passport. It was a moonshot as it takes approximately 2-3 weeks to process let alone same day !

The Office gathered his documents and approved his application and told him that he can pick his passport by 4 PM today! This was first in the history of the Office where they have done something like this. The Passport Office closes at 4 PM and the staff also showed a sense of urgency in making sure the son is able to fly today to attend his father's funeral.

He was able to catch the flight at 6 PM and give a supporting hug to his widow mother and attend his father's funeral. In the span from 6 am to 6 pm - he had taken 11 Tylenol !

"Take time to arrive on a decision, but once you have made a decision, stick to it."